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What is functional nutrition?

Functional nutrition is the holistic approach to diet, taking into consideration one's lifestyle factors that could affect their food choices, such as activity levels, environment, or the presence of chronic disease. You may be wondering how this is different from standard nutrition practice, but the key is in the holistic approach.

Standard nutrition focuses on the nutritional facts, such as a food or food group’s ability to promote or damage health (whether it's “good” or “bad” for you). Functional nutrition looks at these facts, too, but in the context of an individual’s physiological makeup and how they live, such as how often they move, the quality of their relationships, and their stress level. Essentially, just because a food or food group has been demonstrated as being “good for you,” it doesn’t mean it’s good for you — functional nutrition means one size doesn’t fit all!

Pros of functional nutrition

  • Tailored to meet your unique needs

  • Easier to put into practice because dietary choices are explained by a practitioner who knows your health history and lifestyle practices

  • Looks at the food you’re eating in the context of your lifestyle practices to make sure you’re nourishing your body well

—Source: Institute for Integrative Nutrition